Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy and acknowledge his own work. He is part of the seven-person team in the University College Dublin, UCD, trauma project, the initiative led by UCD professors Gerard Bury and Chris Fitzpatrick. Professor Fitzpatrick and I have been going back and forth on this project for some time. I know that the Deputy was involved in training for 100 personnel and that the visit focused on procedures to counteract haemorrhaging and deal with combat wounds, so I acknowledge his own role, which is greatly appreciated. It is fantastic to see an Oireachtas Member, one of our own doctors and an ex-member of our Defence Forces playing a leading role on the ground in Ukraine in this lifesaving way. I thank him for everything he has done, and his six colleagues who have gone out to Ukraine. I fully intend to keep supporting the UCD trauma project. It is fantastic.

Ireland's health service has strongly expressed its solidarity with our Ukrainian counterparts. The Ukrainian health minister asked me some time ago whether we could pair one of our hospitals with theirs. We have done that and it is bearing fruit. Humanitarian medical aid is provided by the Irish health service as part of a wider Government response to the outrageous and illegal invasion by Russia of Ukraine.

To date, the health service has donated nearly €9 million in medical supplies to Ukraine. This is being done through collaboration between the health service, the Government, Ukrainian nationals working in Ireland, private donors and civil society partners. The donations have included lifesaving medical equipment, medicines, ambulances and a generator. In addition, medical beds, aids and appliances and medical consumables have been supplied.

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